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Ready to Take on the World of Kindergarten- If you help them

My hybrid night owl-morning bird child has begun kindergarten. This momma has been shaking in her boots about the transition. Have I prepared her? Is she ready? We never did the kindergarten boot camp that I hear so many other mommas talking about. The endless push to prepare kiddos before they walk through the door to the wonderful world of kindergarten. Which has made me worried about my free spirit, perfectionist, only child beginning the journey of formal school. Me being a teacher makes this conundrum even more mounting. Teachers are supposed to have the kids that surpass ready. Whatever that means.

So to those who have looked at any kid and thought that maybe, just maybe they aren’t ready for this thing we call kindergarten. Please know:

You will find books in every nook and cranny of our house that are well-loved and talked about, but we’ve never sat down and quizzed each other on the details of those books.

You will find drawings and creations on every wall of our abode, but we’ve never presented them to a room full of other kids and grown ups.

You will find toys strewn about in scenarios and worlds that exist in the mind of a five-year old, but we’ve never had rules about what can go with what and where things had to be placed.

You will find someone to talk to whenever you need it. Because, well, that is what we do in our house, but we’ve never practiced holding in what we want to say for a really long time.

Heck, we don’t even follow much of a schedule and you can find us having a picnic dinner on the living room floor more often than at our table.

So know that while our home might not look like a classroom:

We read.
And we create.
And we love.
And we think.
And we question.
And we play.
And we write.
And we design.
And we struggle.
And we try.
And we try again.
And we solve.
And we invent.
And we LEARN.

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4 thoughts on “Ready to Take on the World of Kindergarten- If you help them”

So, I’m not going to lie. I thought your “list” was going to be a familiar one. One extolling all the wonderful things you’ve done to “prepare” your daughter for her first experience in school. Then….BAM! You turned the “list” on its head – and me too. You totally nailed the “so there” line at the end by showing us how very well prepared ALL of our kids are -but not in the way that many teachers might expect. I would hope that no kids are “schooled” at home. That’s why there’s school!!!!! We should be waiting at the school door with arms wide open to accept our kids, honoring all of the beautiful gifts they’ve been given by their families. THAT is what teaching is all about. And, learning too. Well done, Kim and Maddie!

And that is just right….I too have worried about my now 10 year…our schedules seems so different from others…I shared with her teacher that we read for 5 hours on Saturday…just because…that’s what we do…we are the classroom beyond the walls!

Writing has become a public part of me. Never thought I'd say that! I'm a teacher turned literacy coach turned classroom teacher again. Navigating my corner of the world brings new rewards and challenges every day.